Spain's new King Felipe VI sworn in
MADRID — Spain’s new King Felipe VI was proclaimed monarch at a formal ceremony in the country’s Parliament today, a deliberately low-key occasion for austere times and tarnished royal reputations.
Felipe swore an oath of allegiance to democratic principles in front of lawmakers and senators.
Although the 18th-century Spanish crown and 17th-century scepter were displayed next to the new monarch, authorities shunned an opulent coronation ceremony. The option for a relatively low-key proclamation was chosen out of sensitivity to the financial hardship endured by many Spaniards after a double-dip recession.
Even so, the cheering crowds and the pageantry provided a welcome distraction as Spaniards were reeling from their national team’s defeat by Chile in the World Cup in Brazil, which ended their hope of winning a second consecutive title.
Earlier, in his first official act since ascending to the throne after midnight, Felipe received the red sash of Captain General of the Armed Forces from his father Juan Carlos, who signed his abdication decree on Wednesday.
The monarchy was rocked when Juan Carlos went on a luxurious elephant-hunting safari in Botswana as Spaniards endured financial hardship, and his youngest daughter, Princess Cristina, was obliged to testify in a fraud and money-laundering case engulfing her husband, Olympic handball medalist turned businessman Inaki Urdangarin.
